By Osa Mbonu-Amadi, Arts Editor

In an industry built on categories and quick fixes, an artist who defies easy labeling is either a fool or a visionary. Adekanle Taiwo Emmanuel, the Glasgow-based Nigerian who performs as Emars, makes a compelling case for the latter. Based on an evaluation of his nascent profile and the philosophy driving his work, Emars is not just a musician; he is a proposition, one that challenges the very infrastructure of modern music.

His recently discussed track, “Tomorrow,” serves as a stark manifesto. In a streaming economy that rewards the two-minute burst, Emars’s commitment to a traditional four-minute structure is a quiet act of rebellion. The arrangement, reportedly just a guitar, a stomp, and his voice, is a high-wire act. It deliberately forgoes the “charade of instruments” that often masks a song’s core, placing immense pressure on the raw materials: melody, lyric, and emotional truth.

The described effect—feeling “in the room with a friend”—is the holy grail of acoustic performance. It suggests an artist who understands that intimacy, not just volume, can command attention.

The decision to leave a “raw, unedited audio” snippet at the beginning is a calculated one. It’s a signal of authenticity, a promise that what follows is unvarnished and real. The critical question, however, is whether this minimalist aesthetic can resonate within Nigeria’s vibrant, polyrhythmic soundscape, a market that often equates sonic density with vibrancy. The potential is there, but its longevity remains unproven.

This leads to the larger, more complex portrait of the artist himself. Emars’s biography paints a picture of a creative force in constant flux. A choirboy prodigy evolved into a genre-defying composer, his sound is described as a fusion of traditional rhythms, ambient electronics, and jazz improvisation. The most intriguing, and perhaps most precarious, aspect of his career is this deliberate genre-fluidity. The observation that it’s like “watching an evolution process in time” is astute; it positions his music as a living, breathing entity rather than a finished product.

Herein lies the central tension. The music industry, from radio programmers to award academies, operates on taxonomy. An artist must be this or that to be filed correctly. Emars’s refusal to be pigeonholed is his greatest strength but also his most significant commercial hurdle.

The critical question posed is this: Can such an artist win major awards?

This question is piercingly relevant. Historically, award shows have struggled with artists who transcend genre, often forcing them into ill-fitting categories or overlooking them entirely. For Emars to succeed, it would require award bodies to evolve alongside him, to recognise that a vital new voice doesn’t always fit into an old box.

His reported prowess as a live performer, a “spontaneous” crafter of songs on the spur of the moment, offers a clue to his strategy. If his recorded work is a complex fusion, his live act seems to be its distilled, potent core. The description of his thematic focus on “faith, love and hope” delivered with the soulful gravitas of a “sage” or “monk” suggests an artist seeking a deeper, more spiritual connection with his audience, a stark contrast to the hedonistic themes prevalent in mainstream circles.

Emars is an artist to watch, but with a critical eye. The promise is immense: a unique voice, a commitment to authenticity, and a bold, genre-less vision. However, the path he has chosen is fraught with institutional resistance. The proposed 2026 EP will be the true test. It must capture the raw magic of his live performances while justifying the complexity of his fused-genre approach. Emars is undoubtedly on to something. Whether the music world is ready to accept what he’s offering, without a convenient label, is the unanswered question that will define his fascinating journey.

Adekanle Taiwo, known as Emars, is a Nigerian-born, Glasgow-based composer. He began his music career as a young child in the choir, moving on to become a prodigy in song writing, music storytelling, and improvisation. This is undoubtedly something you would have to experience yourself.

However, the strangest thing is not being able to place a finger on the specific genre he is attuned to; Emars explores a wide variety of genres always fused and never alone in their original identity. It’s like watching an evolution process in time.

This begs the questions: Is there a possibility for an artist without a specific genre to win awards, especially in a world where artists are usually labeled by their genres? Emars is no doubt special in his ability to drive rhythms and sounds. His spontaneous music is even more fascinating. Crafting a song on stage, and on the spur of the moment, is something one needs to watch him do.

Another unique scent is his musical themes. His songs are centered on faith, love, and hope, not in the way the general music scene understands it. It feels like hearing a sage, a man of faith, or a monk sing with a soulful voice. His live performances are something; maybe this is why he has never recorded a body of work until now. His proposed EP is for March 2026.

On the question whether an artist without generic genre loyalty would ever be accepted to win awards, only time will tell.

Thirty-year-old Taiwo has been playing music with his siblings since he was six. He produced his first work in 2016. Now he has two singles, and the EP is expected in March 2026.

Emars says his music, which is an exploration of spiritual and philosophical topics and how they shape the daily workings of our natural life, is inspired by God. His favourite instrument is the guitar. “I first chose it for its mobility and ability to play it without needing any power source. It was a practical instrument for me. However, I quickly realised it may have been beyond Providence. It was a suitable instrument to fuel my personal exploration of sounds and to perform my song acoustically without drowning its authenticity in a Ballad of instrument,” he says.

Aside from music, Emars studied psychology. He loves to explore and experiment with sounds, tell and retell history, informing the present and creating a future via the simplistic, yet sophisticated nature of sounds. He was also inspired by the likes of Majek Fashek, Bob Marley, and Don Moen for their ethics, dedication, topical and philosophical relevance.